"Human trafficking is the practice of people being tricked, lured, coerced or otherwise removed from their home or country, and then compelled to work with no or low payment or on terms which are highly exploitative." Or so Wikipedia describes it. But human trafficking is basically modern day slavery. The three main issues of human trafficking are: slave labor, sexual exploitation, and prostitution.

Approximately 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders every year, but no one can really put a number on how many people that have been affected by this heinous crime because it is extremely covert, and underground issue. It is the second largest crime in the world only behind drug trafficking, but it is growing at dangerously rampant rates and will soon pass drug trafficking. When people are trafficked, they are forced to work and/or sell their bodies while also enduring mental, physical, and sexual abuse with hardly any food or pay.

The average age of entry which girls enter prostitution is 13, and this number is still decreasing at an alarming rate. How someone can compel himself to torture and rape an innocent child is beyond me. But these heartless creatures must be STOPPED.

The National Human Trafficking Hotline is 1-888-373-7888.

Ask the Yemeni Government to end forced child marriage!"The story is all over the news—Rawan, an 8-year-old Yemeni girl was reportedly sold by her parents, forced to marry a man five times her age and on her "wedding night," her fragile young body sustained fatal injuries...Forced Child Marriage is a form of modern slavery, and in Yemen there is no law that makes it illegal."

105 Kids Rescued from Prostitution!"The nationwide operation over the weekend resulted in 150 arrests, with 105 children between the ages of 13 and 17 rescued, according to Ron Hosko, assistant director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division."

Obama Speaks Out Against Modern Day Slavery"At the Clinton Global Initiative meeting Tuesday, President Obama announced what some have described as “landmark actions to fight human trafficking" — naming human trafficking as the "evil" that it is, and announcing new policy initiatives to combat modern slavery. During his address, the president highlighted the powerful role of the faith community in raising awareness, serving the survivors of trafficking and abuse, and fighting human rights abuses and rampant injustices globally."

The Day of the GirlThe Day of the Girl movement was made to help girls get involved in advocating for women's rights. Sign the petition to make October 11th the official Day of the Girl on their website!

Lindt & Ferrero are Getting rid of Child Labor! Morgan Rayner launched the Change.org petition just days before Easter, calling for a public commitment to a child slave free supply chain of cocoa. Her petition took off and in less than four days grew to 110,000 signatures around the world. It sparked a social media storm, and soon senior executives from both Lindt and Ferrero reached out directly to Morgan.

Within weeks, both companies had committed to 100% audited cocoa supply chains by 2020, ensuring an unprecedented commitment to wiping out child labour in the production of their chocolate...

Lindt & Ferrero: Take Child Slave Labor out of your Chocolate!Take action by signing this petition on Change.org calling on Ferrero and Lindt to take immediate steps to make sure no child labor is involved in making their chocolate -- and it's going global.

1-800-Flowers makes the change!Late last week, the largest florist in the world, 1-800-Flowers, responded to 54,000 Change.org members and agreed to begin selling Fair Trade flowers and insist on a strong code of conduct for all their suppliers to counteract the deplorable working conditions that thousands of female flower workers face in South America. They’ve promised to offer Fair Trade flowers in time for Mother's Day, making 1-800-Flowers a leader in the industry.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday the fight against human trafficking, both abroad and in the United States, is critical for the Obama administration. She spoke on the release of a State Department report that listed 17 countries as failing to significantly address the problem. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department

British band Radiohead is releasing a video which aims to raise awareness of human trafficking. The video for 'All I Need' uses a split screen to show a day in the life of two different children -- one from an affluent background and another who is forced to work in a sweat shop.

This Public Service Announcement shows the Oscar-winning British actress, Emma Thompson, mouthing the words of real-life human trafficking victims -- male and female; sex slaves, forced labourers, and children press-ganged into carrying guns.

Your Questions & Comments about "About Human Trafficking..."

Most Recent:

Q:

I am doing an extended project at College on human trafficking to help bring awareness to the issue. Could you please help me by answering my question? Why are teenagers the main victims in trafficking?
Thank you.

A:

Teenagers are mainly affected by trafficking because they are often trusting and uniformed about how to stay safe on the internet and in public places like malls. They also do not know the warning signs of an abusive relationship. That is why this website was created. Hope this helps!

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Questions and Comments List...

Q:

I am doing an extended project at College on human trafficking to help bring awareness to the issue. Could you please help me by answering my question? Why are teenagers the main victims in trafficking?
Thank you.

A:

Teenagers are mainly affected by trafficking because they are often trusting and uniformed about how to stay safe on the internet and in public places like malls. They also do not know the warning signs of an abusive relationship. That is why this website was created. Hope this helps!

Q:

What country currently holds the highest number of modern day slaves, counting the ones trafficked across borders and the ones foced into it in their own country? I'm doing a speech on whether slavery exists, and I want to get some more facts to back up my opinion that it does. Thanks!

A:

There are 27 million slaves in the world right now, which is more than any time in history. If you go to the "Cool Links" section of the website, you will find the U. S. Department of State - Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons link. They write a report every year about human trafficking statistics. For, it is not an opinion that slavery exists still today, it is a sad reality. Hope that helps!

Q:

I'm doing a research paper for my AP Composition class and I was wondering if you knew where to find statistics of how many young boys and girls were trafficked in the year 2010-2011? I've been searching for hours, and can't find anything.

A:

That is tricky... because human trafficking is so convert and underground, I am not sure if there are any statistics that are so specific. There are an estimated 27 million slaves in the world right now, and about 800,000 people trafficked across international borders every year. You should check out the Polaris Project and Shared Hope International because they are both great resources. Hope that helps! Good luck on your paper!

Q:

I'm doing a Social Justice essay paper and making a social awareness on teenage trafficking and I'd like to thank you for all the information that you have given me it has really helped me a lot. Keep doing what you're doing and you're helping a lot more teens other than just me and the other teens that have given you positive feedback. Thank You

A:

I am so glad that I could help! Good luck with your essay, and don't forget to spread the message so more people like you and me can stay safe!

Q:

Thank you for the help now if I can only convince my troop leader and council (and mom). Wish me luck!

A:

That is so awesome! I really hope that they see how important it is to spread this information and provide the tools to keep us safe. After all, knowledge is power! If any of them have any questions, they can click "Contact Us" to send me an email and I can get them in contact with one of our adult mentors. Best of luck to you!!

Q:

Hello I'm doing a persuasive essay about how human trafficking should stop. But I need a little more information. I would like to know some links that can help me. Thank you

A:

Hi, I suggest you click on "Cool Links" in the menu to the left. It has links to international, national, and local organizations that have fantastic information. Good luck on your paper!

Q:

Hi, I'm doing a debate paper about human trafficking and I want to argue the point that consumer education about the products we buy can limit human trafficking. I was wondering if you could link me to some resources. Thanks!

I live in a place with a high level of under age prostitution. I want to raise awareness about this for my silver award....any help?

A:

First of all, congrats on deciding to take on this issue for your silver award! That is really awesome. I would start by getting connected with the human trafficking organizations in your state. That way, you will network with people who have a lot hands on experience that can help you discover the greatest impact you can make in your community. Best of luck!

Q:

I am a fellow Girl Scout, and you have provided me with information for an essay....You helped me get an A!

A:

That is so awesome! I am really glad that this website was a good resource to a fellow Girl Scout sister.

Q:

Where is trafficking most common and are people sold for money?

A:

"Yes, people are sold for money. Especially women and children. Sadly, human trafficking happens everywhere in the United States as well as abroad. This article from CNN goes into more depth."

Q:

I heard you talk last night at the national young women of distinction ceremony and I was very inspired by your story and this website. Thank you for coming and speaking about your cause. :)

A:

Thank you so much for your support! :)

Q:

Sir/Madam, I am in Humanitarian Service for International Rescue Committee in Thailand and working with refugees, especially, in adolescent issues. There is a problem with teen groups who drop out of school and leave the camp (privately) and work outside the camp. Most of them are arrested and trafficked. What activities/programs will be the best way to keep them peacefully inside the camp?

A:

I recommend looking through the Shared Hope International Website because Shared Hope International has worked around the world since 1998 to rescue and restore victims of sexual slavery. I am not sure if they have done any work in Thailand yet, but if you contact them through their website, I think it might be extremely beneficial to you. Good luck!

how does child slavery/trafficking effect modern day teenagers and how can they help?

A:

As teenagers, we must learn how to protect ourselves and spread the awareness to other teens so they can stay safe too. It is up to us to take a stand by bringing this issue out of the shadows. Look through the Amazing Teens section to see how teens are getting involved in their communities, and don't forget to buy Fair Trade!

Q:

What are the interventions proposed in helping human trafficking victims?

A:

There are organizations such as Streetlight that work on rehabilitation through providing a healthy and safe environment for victims so they do not have to go back. It is unfortunately a very difficult process because of all the trauma they have gone through, but there are people that have gotten out for good.

Q:

I'm doing a paper on human trafficking, are there any tips you could give me?

A:

Well, you are definitely in the right place. I suggest you start by watching a few YouTube videos on the page, then visit some of the cool links and pick a movie to watch (if your parents are okay with that). I have tried to gather all of the best information and videos that were scattered on the web to feature here. So all of your resources are right here at your fingertips! Good luck with your paper!

Q:

Thank you for caring enough and educating your peers about this issue. Your legacy will live on and my hope is we will end modern day slavery.

A:

Thanks for the kind words! I couldn't agree more.

Q:

Thanks for providing this information and for caring about the most vulnerable populations. Much love, Tamara

A:

Thank you so much, Tamara! I am very grateful for your support.

Q:

How much is being done to help the girls and women being trafficked?

A:

Well, not nearly enough. But there are people working on it. This article goes into better detail:

This is Breanna from PAAS (Phoenix Area Against Slavery)! I am looking for information on runaways specifically. I want to talk to group homes and foster care kids so it would be good to have a story from a runaway that was trafficked to tell them.